The appetite for new bars and restaurants opening in Leeds shows no sign of slowing down.

Just before Christmas the Smokin Bar opened at the top end of Park Row in the city. It has some strong competition as there are at least 2 other restaurants in Leeds city already offering smoked burgers and smoked meat.

Bar area

On our mid week visit in the early evening, it seemed fairly quiet: Happy Hour flyers were being given out to passers by in the street, which seemed a good idea as it seems many people are not aware of the place.

Also by Graham Clark...

Interview With The Script's Mark Sheehan Ahead Of Scarborough Concert

Mamas Gun - Golden Days (Candelion)

Rita Ora Lights Up The North With Manchester Gig

Mariah Carey To Play Her Only Outside Festival Appearance In The North

Doubletree By Hilton, Hull

It has a large floor area and I got the impression that the drinks and the bar area were more popular than the food: there were more visitors drinking than eating.

I chose the 8oz Sirloin steak for my main, priced at £14.95; it did not include fries which were £2.95 extra. The steak was cooked to my preference, but I thought that the chips were nothing too special.

My sister went for the Smoked Beef Patty burger, priced at £8.95; the fries again were extra at £2.95. It was a large sized burger but the verdict was that the sauce had too much chilli in it which spoilt the taste of the burger.

Smoked beef patty burger

We had a limited choice of desserts as the Panacotta and the Sticky Toffee Pudding were sold out, which you could understand if it was just after the weekend.

A live singer added to the evening, but for the food part of the business to become more successful it might be a good idea to offer meal deals. There is a very well known pub chain a few blocks down Park Row offering deals and with competition such as this, it is an idea that needs looking at.

The food was reasonable, the service acceptable - they just need to decide if it's a pub or a restaurant, then go for it.